7 years ago today...

I married this guy:

And I'm not a butterflies-and-rainbows-flying-out-of-my-ass person, but it's the best decision I've ever made. He is full of awesomeness (and he's pretty easy on the eyes). I think I'll keep him around for a long time.

And today also marks the day that our last house-guests have finally left. I have had my house full of guests for the last for the last 16 days. While it was super fun and I'm happy I did it, and I also very happy to get back into my normal routine. I think I only ran 4 times the last 16 days. I also ate 4 lobster rolls, went on 3 brewery tours, and ate more pizza and North End pastries than I care to think about. As someone who normally eats a pretty clean diet, this has wreaked havoc on my system and energy levels. I cannot wait to cook every night and not go to a restaurant for the foreseeable future.

I still have not finished reading Advanced Marathoning (see above, also, I am easily distracted) and I am supposed to start marathon training this week. We also have a 10K this weekend, which I am guessing will not be a PR effort, judging by my less than stellar training over the past few weeks.

Here's to eating vegetables and running again!

I miss you, running.

So I haven't posted in a while, mostly because I haven't been running. Specifically, I didn't even run a step for 5 days. I know.

My mom and stepdad were here for the last 5 days, making it impossible to run. They don't travel much and they aren't very self-sufficient, so I felt obligated to keep them entertained. We did do a shitload of walking and I played the part of a substandard Boston tour guide (with a Southern accent) for most of the time. I have to say, being a tourist is exhausting.

Yep, Supertourist with Mama & Stepdad

Yes, this was taken from a Duck Boat.

Not giant balls. Giant Vandergraff machine at MOS (which was terribly disappointing)

PENGUINS!

SEALS!

After making my 4th trip to the airport in 10 days (and I do not work there, nor did I ever get on a plane) via MBTA (a 60-75 min one-way trip), I got home yesterday and stayed on the couch for the better portion of the day. The best part is I have only a 48-hour reprieve, because my sister and her husband arrive on Saturday. AND the day after they leave, I have more friends coming to stay with us. Hotel CK is booked. 

How do you guys get your workouts in when you have houseguests? I am at a loss trying to figure out how to do it. I guess I just worry they will feel like they are wasting their vacation time waiting on me.

My husband also had a rough week - miltary full-time job + 2 summer term grad classes = he's running on fumes. I convinced him to come run with me yesterday and we did a slow 4 miles and talked (because we've barely even seen each other over the past 7 days). 4 miles, 9:00 avg pace.

I've been reading Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger. I am such a geek, because I find all this information fascinating. I'm only about halfway through the book, so I will refrain from speaking about it until I finish. But already I have to say I really wish I would have read it before I ever ran a marathon. The title is somewhat misleading, because this information would be useful to anyone looking to successfully run a marathon. Marathoning isn't just about getting the miles in - it's also about fueling, hydration, rest, and run strategy -all of which is covered in this book.

Marathon training doesn't need to begin for a few more weeks, so for now I'm just running casually (and slowly) and going to the gym, yoga class, and some spinning here and there.

Thursday: Back at the Grind

So today I had the joy of having a service appointment with the gas company. Because they obviously value my time SO much, the service window was FIVE HOURS (8am-1pm). I dragged myself out of bed and sat by the door until the guy showed up - at 12:58pm. Seriously??? I am pretty sure they did this just to irritate me, since they were a no-show at my last appointment and I let them know my displeasure in how they handled that situation. I can see some vengeful CS rep putting a note on my appointment saying "make that bitch wait until the last possible MINUTE."

So I finally got out for a run this afternoon - it truly was a glorious day here in Boston - sunny and about 70 degrees. I did sort of a tempo run, but I started too fast, dialed it back a bit, got bored and ran miles 4 and 5 at a 7:45 pace, and then I was almost dead and I still had to run the 2 miles to get back home. Not my brightest move. Dear Self: STOP running every single training run like it's a race. I swear I do this EVERY TIME and I KNOW it's dumb. I never thought I'd have to tell myself to SLOW DOWN but I guess this is now a necessity.

Anway, the stats:

7 miles, 59 minutes, 8:19 avg pace.

Since I screwed up my last week of training (I was far too occupied with eating my grandma's cooking), I think I sort of lost my focus. I was on FIRE the week before I left, but I don't feel that fire right now. Hopefully it's just my tiredness talking, considering I have a race in 10 days.

New Stuff

So I did get a few new things recently. First, my cherries headband - it's a Sweaty Band! I was dubious when I first looked at it, considering the inside is velveteen. But the tooth of the fabric keeps it right in place on my giant head and it's really comfy. I am a firm lover of my HALO headbands, but these could give them a run for it!

One creepy eye, to ensure you nightmares tonight

And I got the Asics Emma singlet. I saw one at the Nashville expo and liked the idea of the super breathable mesh fabric. I ended up finding it on sale on the Lady Foot Locker website (GREAT place to find deals on shoes and clothing, along with free shipping). I ordered a M because I'm a little on the busty side, but I kind of wish I'd have ordered a small. You never know! But it's super airy and I am already loving it on warm runs because I am a super sweaty person.

Look! Ghost boobs!

I'd like another one (in a Small) but I can't find a good sale, so I'll wait. :) 

I also got a new sports bra. I had a black one, but I needed another one, and since the only other option is white, that's what I got. I have owned a LOT of sports bras in my time, but I think this is the best one. Sports bras have come a LONG way in the last 5 years for us girls that have odd sizes. But the problem is usually that they are 1) hideously ugly or 2) they are harder than a Chinese finger trap to get on and off. Seriously, bra manufacturers, do you understand how difficult it is to pull a bra on over your head, and then attempt to hook three hooks behind your back (I'm looking at you, Moving Comfort)? Perhaps I'm special, but I find it to be almost impossible. Add long hair and a bum shoulder to that equation, and I just give up. Enter the Under Armour Endure bra:

Unfortunately the bra did not come with those killer arms

Yes, it zips in the FRONT. What a novel idea! Now I don't need to unhinge my shoulders and turn my head around backwards to put it on! Added bonus: it makes me look like I got a boob job. I sort of want to wear it all the time, just for that reason.

What's your favorite running gear? Spill it! And where do you find the best deals? I love a good sale!

I bit the bullet... and ordered a Garmin.

I ordered the Garmin 405 (water resistant version) last night:

I wanted the green one, but I was considerate and ordered the black one in case my husband wants to borrow it. I told myself I'd think about it a few days. In that time frame I did a lot research, and discovered that the reviews are decidedly mixed on EVERY model of Garmin. I asked some running friends, and quite a few use this model, and like it (I will certainly be locking the bezel on runs). But this one was definitely the most wallet-friendly at $137. So I ordered one that was "Used-Like New" from Amazon, so if for some reason I don't like it or it doesn't work well for me, I can return it no problem. It also comes with a warranty. It looks as if it was just returned and repackaged, no big deal to me. I also have seen there are LOT of Garmin 305's on eBay, so if this one doesn't work, I'll probably go to that option. That one seems to get the best reviews, but that sucker is BIG and I have child-sized wrists (like 5.5" circumference). 

I decided to order mostly out of frustration. My iPhone GPS app does some great things, and I will still use it for most of my runs, but the accuracy of all the apps leaves a lot to be desired. At the Country Music Half,  my distance was off my almost a quarter mile. I have to wonder if is has to do with having a lot of people in one place trying to use the same cell signals. Neither mine or my husband's data would work at all at the finisher's village. 

Yesterday I set out for a standard run, and about a 1/2 mile from my house, I hear my robot man voice come over my earbuds to tell me I'd just run 1 mile in 3:59. Yeah, um, I wish! And then I'd had enough, and decided that I needed something that provided some consistent accuracy, along with being able to *accurately* tell me my CURRENT pace. I went out WAY too fast in my last race and didn't know until it was too late and the damage was done. I also read a lot of running blogs these days, and it seems that every fast, strong runner out there uses a Garmin. I finally admitted to myself that it was probably an important element to training to get faster. 

So it arrives in 2 days and I am like a kid in a candy store. I LOVE gadgets! I am also looking forward to using it when I visit my parents later this month - they live in a very rural area where there is no cell reception or GPS reception. 

I also want to become less dependent on running with music - I know it's not inherently safe. (Although I gotta admit, Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" totally helped me run to the finish in Nashville) I need to understand what a certain pace 'feels' like and be able to maintain it. So I really looking forward to this new chapter in my running journey!

Do you guys use a GPS watch, and if so what brand/model? Do you love it? Do you run with music? 

Training Plans

So in my super long running career (umm, like 5 years) I have always used Hal Higdon's training programs. I am really big on training programs for longer races (anything 13.1 and up), mostly because I'm terrified of running those distances without training. (I might be a control freak)

However, I'm starting to think I need to try something different. Specifically, I think I need higher mileage, at least for a half marathon. I think it might be a good idea to have a double digit run every weekend, and maybe even a few runs that are longer than 13 miles. I found this one; it looks promising. Runner's World also has a wide array of programs, but for $24.99 each, they can keep them. There are so many other free resources on the internet, I will just stick with them.

What training plans do you guys use? Do you have any super top secrets to success you'd like to share?

And a picture of my dog in a lobster costume. Just because. Doesn't she look thrilled?